Summertime...

I have a new political topic taking shape to post about, but don't have time to write it out before my next class. So instead I thought I'd give a quick update on my life...

France seems like ancient history already, even though it's not even been 6 weeks since I got back. I don't miss it (except maybe the food) - it's been so wonderful to be HOME. However, things do change in 5 months, and that I was not quite prepared for - close friends leaving for the summer, deaths in my church, and many other small things. It would've been nice to have everything the same as before I left, but that's not reality - life constantly changes, whether we want it to or not, and we have to deal with that. But despite those changes, it has been wonderful reconnecting with the people and places I've been separated from for so long :)

And the summer has been flying by - I can't believe it's July already! For those of you who don't know, I'm living with a family from my church over the summer, which has been really good. As much as I love my family and enjoy spending time with them, I haven't lived at home for more than a couple of weeks at a time since 2006, and I didn't want to generate unnecessary conflict by being with them too much. I still see them at least once a week, but now I also get to be part of another family too :) They have two adorable boys, 9 months and 2 1/2 years, and it's great to come home from a long day of academic work to play with them. They make me laugh, and sometimes they reward me with a smile :) I am realizing more and more, though, the gift and burden that comes with being "Mama" - how your heart must warm when you're the only one who can dry your child's tears, yet also how exhausting it must be to be the one constantly called for. But it's been fun to spend time with the boys and their mom :) When they're traveling it can be kind of creepy being in the big house all by myself, but now I have a new "roomie" downstairs - a student who's interning at my church. She's really cool, and it's been nice having someone around to talk to and do stuff with.

On the academic front, I finished my first set of classes last Tuesday (after pulling an all-nighter Monday!) and then had 5 days of sorely-needed vacation. Those classes had been hard - US Foreign Policy probably the hardest course I've ever taken - and I learned a LOT, but my brain needed a break. Monday I started new classes - American Literature and International Politics. Although I'm not very interested in Lit, the prof is nice and engaging, so I think it'll be a fun and not-too-hard class. International Politics is not at all what I expected, though! The prof is totally laid back - wearing shorts and sneakers, wasting time talking about irrelevant stuff, and always letting us out early. I'm the only POLI SCI major in the class - everyone else is just taking it as an elective or a Gen. Ed. - and he's obviously gearing it to their level. Although it would be nice to have less work, I really want to learn something and not just waste 6 weeks on fundamentals, so that's kind of frustrating for me.

Another big part of my summer has been BIKING! Inspired by the bikers in France, I decided to get my own when I got back - decreasing my carbon footprint, getting exercise, and experiencing the city in a new way. Although it was scary in the beginning (Philly drivers do have a reputation!), I absolutely love it - the freedom, the exercise, and the lack of carbon emissions :)

Well, I have to head to class now... Look for something about Iran and Israel in the next few days :)